It was reported prior to Sunday’s win over the Saints that linebackers coach Jeff Ulbrich had taken over the Falcons defensive play-calling duties from head coach Dan Quinn.
Following Atlanta’s 26-9 upset over New Orleans, NFL Network’s Steve Wyche reported that the team used a unique arrangement on defense:
I reported on NFL now that Falcons assistant Coach Raheem Morris told me that he called 3rd down and two-minute defenses against the Saints while Jeff Ulbrich called 1st and 2nd down defense. Ulbrich has done that since Week 6 vs. Az. This delegation is the plan moving forwards
— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) November 11, 2019
Ulbrich called plays on first and second downs, while Raheem Morris called them on third downs and in two-minute situations. This led to the Falcons defense playing with a confidence and speed that we haven’t quite seen this season.
New Orleans had dominated the time of possession battle in its first eight games, but went 3-for-12 on third downs in Week 10, which changed the flow of the game.
Brees was sacked six times, and Atlanta’s young secondary held strong — particularly rookie CB Kendall Sheffield. Dan Quinn’s reign as defensive coordinator was a failure, but these changes were extremely effective.
According to Wyche, the Falcons plan to keep this defensive play-calling arrangement for the rest of the year.
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